Vehicle wheel-tire.



'Patnted Mar.9,1915.

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uwus runs. "on. unu. Vusnmavu o c MELVILLE c arm, or crucaeo, rnrimors VEHICLE WHEEL-TIRE.

To all whom it may concern) Be it known that I, MELvILLE CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle lVheel-Tires', of

which the following is a specification, refconstruction shown and described as indicated in the claim;

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a segment of a wheel equipped with a tire embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a-section at the line, 2-2, on Fig. l on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is-an outer circumferential edge view of the air spring.

In the drawingsthe invention is shown applied to a vehicle wheel which in general construction follows familiar lines comprising a wooden felly, l, on opposite sides of which there are bound metal guard plates, 2 2, between which the air spring, 3, and the rubber tread member, 4, are retained. The air spring is encompassed by an annulus, 6, made of leather belting with its ends lapped and joined up so as to make it endless without obvious-seam, in a familiar manner; The inner side of the leather annulus is the smooth side of the belting, it being the hair side ,of the'jleather, This leather annulus is preferably let into the inner circumference of the tread member, 4, which is molded with a recess to accommodate it, and is reinforced and partly held in place by wooden blocks, 5', which are embedded in the tread member at its inner circumference at short intervals throughout that circu'm The rough ference, as seen in the drawings.

next to the or grain side of the leather being wooden blocks, the tendency of the leather to' slip on the blocks is very slight, but in some cases it may be found desirable to secure the leather to the blocks by any convenient means, as, for example, by suitable broad round-headed tacks, 7 one of which is shown in Fig. 2, but this is not essential, and in many cases-may be better dispensed with.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. atented Man-9, 1

I Application filed October 4, 1813. Serial No. 7533,2732.-

The air spring, 3, is made-so as to be substantially unstretchable under inflation,--

that is to say, it is strong enough to bear inflation to the necessary extent to adapt it to serve as the air spring and when thus infiated, does not reach the limits of the chamher in which it is inclosed, but merely seats at itsinner circumference upon'the transverse flanges of the side plates, 2, which extend over the periphery of the felly, and

at its outer circumference, as indicated, it serves as a seat for the tread member whose inner circumferential facing, consisting of the leather annulus, makes the contact with the outer circumference of the air springv For the purpose of obtaining the best resuits in respect to avoidance of heating and wear from friction between the leather annulus and the air spring, said air spring is made with the layer which forms its outer surface of fabric linen or cotton duck, or the which may be filled with any suitable like, substance to render it smooth, but without cutting it exteriorly. What is commonly called in the rubber industry friction duck,-that is, duck fabric which is partly saturated with a rubber gum, but without a coating of rubber,is' suitable for the pur. pose, but I do not limit myself to a fabric which is rubber filled. It is essential, how

ever, for the best results, as above stated, that it should not be rubber coated, but should have'the fabric fiber exposed so'as to form the surface for contact with the leatherbelt.

It will be understood, of course, that the air tube is interiorly provided with a layer, 3,

fectly air tight.

In the drawings the air tube is shown of the special form which is desirable, but is not a part of the present invention, that is, having its inner circumference cylindrical about the axisof the wheel, or, as it appears in cross section, fiat to form abroad foot for seating it outside/the fellv, this form being valuable as a means of preventing it from rocking laterally and so swingingits outer circumference over to one side, which might cause it to reach the edge of the leather and be scored thereby.

- Another feature of this invention consists in the provision of anti-friction balls, 9, lodged in metal housings, '8, which are embedded in the sides of with the balls slightly vertical planes of said of rubber sufficiently thick to make it per* the tread member, 4,

against the'inner facesof the guard plates,

.2, and savethe tread member to some extent from the friction against the guard plates in the in-and out movement of the tread member which results from the shift ing of the load as the wheel rolls. The tread members may be formed with pockets in the sides to receive the housings, or the housings may be lodged in the mold so as to be embedded in the tread member in the forming and vulcanizing of the tire. On some accounts it is preferred to adopt the former course, that is,'to make the housings so that after theptread member is completely molded, the housings may be lodged in the pockets formed in said tread member. This may be preferred because it affords opportunity .for keying the ball in the housings by means of key-pins,'9, which are inserted and rivwhich the leather'belt forms a facing at its 30 inner circumference.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day f September, 1913.- MELVILLE CLARK.

Witnesses: v

M. GERTRUDE Anr, LnoY I. STONE. 

